Arvind Kejriwal Faces Backlash Over ‘VIP Convoy’ for Vipassana Retreat
Chandigarh, 5th March 2025: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal faced sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress on Wednesday for traveling with a “VIP convoy” despite holding no official position.
Kejriwal, who arrived in Punjab—an AAP-ruled state—on Tuesday for a “Vipassana” meditation retreat, previously served as an MLA from the New Delhi constituency before suffering a major electoral defeat last month.
The BJP questioned the absence of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann from the convoy, calling it an example of “VIP arrogance at its peak.” BJP leader and Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa invoked Greek philosopher Plato to attack Kejriwal, questioning why Punjab taxpayers’ money was being used to fund his trip.
“Arvind Kejriwal, who once portrayed himself as a common man driving a WagonR, now moves around in a grand convoy of bulletproof Land Cruisers, over 100 Punjab Police commandos, jammers, and ambulances—all for a Vipassana retreat meant for peace! If power was his test, he has failed miserably. What kind of ‘Vipassana’ requires an extravagant security parade funded by Punjab taxpayers? Even CM Bhagwant Mann is missing from the convoy! AAP’s hypocrisy and VIP arrogance stand exposed,” Sirsa wrote on X.
Congress also took a swipe at Kejriwal, with MP Pramod Tiwari suggesting that the former Delhi CM might be struggling to accept his election loss.
“Perhaps he couldn’t handle the defeat and went for Vipassana for peace and health. I won’t comment much on that. But politics involves both victory and defeat. However, if he is traveling with a convoy of 100 vehicles, then the criticism raised by Congress is certainly justified,” Tiwari told news agency IANS.
On Tuesday, Kejriwal, accompanied by his wife Sunita Kejriwal, arrived at the Forest Rest House in Chohal, about 14 km from Hoshiarpur, ahead of his 10-day Vipassana meditation course. He is set to undertake the session at the Dhamma Dhaja Vipassana Centre (DDVC) in Anandgarh, roughly 11 km from Hoshiarpur, according to party sources.
AAP, which governed Delhi from 2015 to 2024 with overwhelming mandates, faced a major setback in the recent elections, securing only 22 out of 70 Assembly seats. The BJP ended AAP’s dominance in the state by winning 48 seats. Several key AAP leaders, including Manish Sisodia, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Satyendar Jain, and Somnath Bharti, also suffered electoral defeats.
